Kaesespaetzle mit Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms

I've been craving sauerkraut lately, but haven't really felt like having it in a sandwich.  I was wandering around the grocery store looking for inspiration and found the spaetzle.  This German version of mac and cheese is delicious and easy.  The hardest part will be washing the dishes.

2 onions, thinly sliced
2 lb bag sauerkraut, drained
1 package Tofurky Beer Brats, sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
10.5 oz box spaetzle, cooked according to package directions
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add onions and cook until very soft.  Mix in sauerkraut and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until sauerkraut is slightly browned.

In a separate pan heat another tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the beer brats and cook on both sides, until browned.

Heat one more dry pan over high heat.  Cook mushrooms until they release their juices.

In a greased pan mix spaetzle, sauerkraut, beer brats and mushrooms.  Stir in swiss cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Grilled Cheese with Brie, Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots

The key to any good grilled cheese sandwich is to come to terms with the fact that you are not cooking a health food and butter both sides of the bread.  It doesn't matter if you're using a plastic-wrapped cheese slice or making something more upscale like this; butter makes the difference.  As far as sandwiches go, this one is pretty laborious.  It was well worth it though.  I highly recommend trying this.

This makes two sandwiches.

4 shallots, thinly sliced and caramelized in butter (here's a helpful resource)
6 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 sliced high quality white bread, thickly sliced and buttered on both sides
3-4 oz. brie, sliced as best you can

As you are finishing caramelizing your shallots get started on the mushrooms.  Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place on high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently.  Allow all of the juices to be released and do not remove from heat until the mushrooms are slightly browned and your pan is dry.  If you do not do this you will end up making a soggy mess of your sandwiches.

Spread brie on two slices of bread.  Cover with cooked mushrooms and caramelized shallots.  Top with remaining slices of bread.  Head griddle over medium heat.  Carefully add sandwiches and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, being careful not to burn the bread.  Getting the right temperature is a delicate balance.  You want it to be hot enough to melt the cheese, but not so hot that it burns the bread.  If necessary flip the sandwiches more than once to achieve appropriate cheese melting and avoid inappropriate bread scorching.  Serve immediately.

I'm sorry this photo is so blurry.  I was having trouble with my camera and getting impatient because it smelled so good and I really wanted to eat!

Grilled Chipotle Portobello Mushrooms

This is a very simple way to cook portobello mushrooms that I came up with a few years ago while visiting my sister in Florida.  John loves them and so strongly associates them with my sister's house that he requests them every time we are there.  I occasionally make them at home and decided to celebrate our summer-in-March by doing so tonight.  You can either have these as a sandwich on toasted rolls, or just plain as a side.  Sometimes I melt cheese on them too.

4 portobello mushrooms, washed, stems removed
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1 1/2 tbsp. ground chipotle chili powder, depending on your heat preference
1 tsp. sea salt

Mix olive oil, chipotle chili powder and salt.  Pour over mushrooms.  Use your hands to rub chipotle mixture into both sides of mushrooms.  Let mushrooms rest while you heat the grill (medium heat). 

Grill until tender and juicy, turning once or twice while they're cooking.  Enjoy!

Salsa Mac & Cheese

I love homemade macaroni and cheese.  I make it rather frequently.  The classic version is great, but it also begs to be jazzed up a little.  I've been wanting to try it with salsa for a long time and finally got around to it tonight.  I shouldn't have waited so long- it was delicious!

Here's the recipe...

1 lb. pasta
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
4 cups milk, warmed up in the microwave
salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed (I use light cheddar so that I can convince myself this is a healthy recipe)
8 oz. monterey jack cheese, cubed
15.5 oz. jar hot salsa
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350.   Cook pasta until al dente and drain. 

While you're cooking the pasta melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Add the flour and stir constantly for a minute or two to make a roux.  Whisk in the heated milk a little at a time.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.  Stir in salt and pepper and stir often, until sauce thickens.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese, until melted.  Mix in salsa.

Combine cheese sauce and pasta and pour into greased baking pan.

Melt butter in a medium skillet.  Add panko bread crumbs and saute for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned.  Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture.

Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes.

Enjoy- but make sure you let it cool a little bit before digging in or you'll burn your tongue!

Cheesy Broccoli Patties

I was on Pinterest the other day and saw a picture titled Cheezy Broccoli Fritters.  They looked delicious, but the recipe that went with them didn't sound too great (even though I'm a vegetarian I'm suspect of anything that calls for hemp seeds).  I decided to create the recipe that I imagined when I saw that photo.  Here's what I came up with...

2 boxes frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil, for frying

Mix broccoli and cannellini beans in a large bowl.  Use a potato masher to smoosh the beans and broccoli together.  Stir in egg.  Add cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.  Use your hands to form patties about 3/4 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches across.  You should end up with 15 or 16 patties.

Heat oil in skillet.  Place patties in pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, or until browned.  You'll need to do this in two batches.  Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Lasagna Timbales

A few months ago my uncle sent me a bunch of old cookbooks that used to belong to my grandma.  I love looking through these- mainly to gawk at the disgusting looking depression-era recipes that people thought worthy of publishing.  One of them is "The American Woman's Cook Book," published in 1947.  Although most of the recipes in here are far from inspiring I did find an idea that looked interesting.  The book has a quote from the Canned Salmon Industry describing it this way:  "The clever hostess will make timbales of shredded potatoes, spaghetti or fine noodles and fill them with Salmon a la King- for instance."  Obviously I was not going to fill them with Salmon a la King, but I did like the idea of the pasta timbale.  I decided to test this out with a lasagna-style filling.  They turned out pretty well and make a unique appetizer.

Here's what you'll need:

1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, quartered
6 oz jar artichokes, drained
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb bucatini
1 1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
1 24-oz jar good pasta sauce (I used Wegman's Pomodoro Sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Start by pouring the ricotta cheese in a mesh strainer.  Let the cheese drain while you prepare the other ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place garlic, artichokes and mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse chop until vegetables are in a small dice. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook mushroom mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been expelled.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the bucatini until al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water so that the pasta is cool enough to handle.

Spray muffin tin with olive oil.  Coil pasta strands around the outside of each muffin cup, leaving space for the filling in the middle.  You will probably have enough pasta for 18 muffin cups.  Set aside.

Stir together drained ricotta cheese, mushroom mixture, oregano, salt, pepper and 1 cup of pasta sauce.

Spoon mixture into pasta cups.  Top each cup with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Put cookie tray over muffin tin, hold the two tightly together and flip over.  Lift muffin tin off very carefully.  Gently remove each timbale from the pan and plate individually.  Serve, with the remainder of the sauce heated and passed at the table.

Caribbean Night!

My boyfriend and I got back from a Caribbean cruise yesterday.  After returning to work today we experienced major vacation withdrawal.  I decided to ease our adjustment back into real life with a little taste of the tropics - Peanut Porridge with Tempeh Bacon, Jamaican "Meat" Patties, and Coconut Rice & Beans.  I have altered all of these recipes quite a bit, but my inspiration came from this website.

Peanut Porridge with Tempeh Bacon

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 tbsp flour
3 cups un-chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp sherry
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 pkg tempeh bacon

Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add onion and celery.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add flour and mix into vegetables.  Slowly add un-chicken broth, while stirring constantly.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil on skillet.  Spread out tempeh bacon slices in a single layer.  Cook until browned on each side.  Chop into pieces and set aside.

Remove broth and veggies from heat.  Stir in peanut butter, sherry and lemon juice.  Add tempeh bacon and serve.

Jamaican "Meat" Patties

Start by making the dough...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 cups ice water

Combine flour, turmeric and salt in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, blend in butter until the mixture is well-combined and crumbly.  Add the ice water a 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough gathers into a ball.  Set aside.

Now make the filling...

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 package imitation ground beef (I used Gimme Lean)
2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup un-chicken broth or water
1 egg, beaten

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add imitation beef and cook until browned.  You may need to add a little extra oil if it's sticking too much.  Add curry powder and black pepper.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add broth.  Stir in bread crumbs.  Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide dough into quarters.  On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a circle, about a 1/4 inch thick.  Put 1/4 of the "meat" filling in the center of each round of dough and fold over to create a half circle.  Press the edges with a fork.  Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until browned.


Coconut Rice & Beans

1 -15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 -15 oz. can light coconut milk
1 -15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place black beans, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a large frying pan (with a cover) and cook over medium heat.  Stir until onion and pepper are softened.  Add tomatoes and their juices.  Stir in uncooked rice.  Add coconut milk.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add some more water, if necessary.

Play some reggae, mix a mojito and enjoy!